


No Promises

by ImAFvckingPrince



Series: Promises [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, Blind Character, M/M, Minor canon divergence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags Are Hard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-04-08 15:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14108163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImAFvckingPrince/pseuds/ImAFvckingPrince
Summary: Ren had always seen things in a different light.Quite literally, actually.Growing up blind in one of the most powerful clans, he'd always have to find his own way of doing things. Seen as incompetent by his father, weak by his mother, needing to be protected by his twin brother, he always had to prove himself to others.Luckily, with his veins full of Uchiha blood, he had the chakra capacity to prove to others he was just as capable as any other ninja.Soon held in high regards, much like his brother, Ren began to see the darker side of things. Humans brought about hatred; Hatred brought about violence; Violence spiked war; War brought suffering; Suffering then brought hatred.It was all a big cycle, and he refused to let things continue as they were.Now, with his twin labeled as a criminal, and younger brother festering with hate, Ren can only do what he believes is right.Rid the world of suffering.Unable to start the spark on his own, he turns to the darkness, hoping to find something to shed some light, before he loses his own, forever.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So I take about a month to rewatch the episodes I need and type up a chapter, so I don't have a set schedule for updates yet. College takes up a lot of that time, and I don't want to give you a set day I update then never stick to it. So, for now the prologue is what you'll be stuck with till I get more chapters written, I have four plus a prologue.

Silence met Ren’s ears as he woke from his slumber, something he was accustomed to for this time of night, but normally he could hear the soft clinking of plates, or the wooden boards of the house creaking softly under his brother’s footsteps. Yet, he heard nothing. It was oddly silent, the kind of silence that tells you immediately that something is seriously wrong. Concentrating on the area around him, he noticed the chakra of both his parents in the meeting hall. Frowning, he reached over, feeling for his nightstand and grasping the kunai that was sitting inside the drawer.  
  
He held the weapon tightly in his grasp, standing and sending a pulse of chakra through his feet to get his bearings. Moving carefully, one foot in front of the other, he reached out, feeling cold glass against his fingertips, before opening the window and hopping out. Sending another pulse through his feet, he swiftly made his way towards his parents when he felt another chakra source near them. It felt strangely like his brother, yet, something felt off about it. Opening the door to the meeting hall, he paused to listen into the conversation occurring within .   
  
“Just promise me you'll take care of Sasuke and your brother...”   
  
Panic began to set in, what was going on? He cursed himself for being so weak in a situation like this, yet he could only do so much. The first sound that reached his ears after his jumbled thoughts was a squelching sound, followed by a small grunt of pain. A second set of the same sounds followed, two thumps accompanying them. Now he was worried.   
  
“ _Itachi-nii..._?”   
  
Taking a step into the room, Ren sent another pulse of chakra through his feet. His gut twisted at the image painted in his mind, yet he rationalized his thoughts. Calmly, he walked towards the crying shinobi and reached out gently to take his face in his hands, a soft smile painting his lips. “ _Itachi-nii..._ ” He murmured, resting his forehead against the other male’s.   
  
“I might not understand what your reason is, or why… But I trust you. I know you won't betray your own morals... Whatever you are doing must have a reason.” He pressed a feather-light kiss to the ravenette’s forehead, smiling once again before kneeling next to the bodies of his parents. “I'll watch Sasuke for you.. So you don't need to worry. Just promise me you won't stray from your path.”   
  
“Ren... I'm sorry.”   
  
“I forgive you. Your sharingan won't work on me, so you may injure me. Just allow me to keep Sasuke safe.”   
  
A quick whoosh sounded in front of him before pain erupted across his chest, still smiling as blood trailed from his lips. He allowed himself to fall backwards, a small chuckle leaving his lips when he felt someone catch him and gently lay him down.   
  
“Still courteous huh... I may be blind but I'm not glass. I can handle a hit like that, I'm a Chūnin Itachi.”   
  
A wave of dizziness washed over his head as the blood loss started to take an effect on Ren’s body, convulsing slightly as he let out a raspy cough.   
  
“Take it easy on Sasuke, okay..?”   
  
“... No promises.”


	2. This Little Light of Mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a little something to appease you while I die in college since finals are next week ;-;

“Sasuke... Sasuke wake up. You get to meet your sensei today, and I get to meet the other genin that I'll be training soon.” Ren whispered softly into the sleeping boy’s ear, a small smile tugging at his lips. He glanced up, his cloudy orbs shining in the sunlight, embracing the warmth he received from the large star. Sasuke was the only one he was okay with seeing his eyes. Normally he would keep his hitai-ate covering them, but he felt that it wasn't his place to hide his blindness from his younger brother.

He wanted to show the male that despite what he'd been through, he could be strong. He could be a ninja, despite being blind. Glancing back down to where he sensed his brother laying, he noticed a slight shift in his chakra flow before a quiet groan reached his ears. “Nngh... _Nii-san_... I can wake myself up... I don't want you to fall.” He mumbled, causing a chuckle to slip from the blind Uchiha's lips.

“You're worried about me, a 17 year old Jōnin, falling over? How could a book trip me up, you know  I passed the Chūnin exams with...” The older male trailed off, knowing the unwanted conversations that arose when he spoke his name. To be honest with himself, just thinking about Itachi caused a sharp pain in his chest, and unwanted memories to surface. He had to be strong, Sasuke needed a guardian and he couldn't keep mulling over the past.

_It was hard to believe it had been almost five years since then..._

“Never mind that. You need to get dressed and head to the academy, I don't need you to be late like someone I know.” He was almost always three hours late, no matter what. _I won't tolerate him if he just so happens to be the leader of Sasuke’s team._ “Come on, up. You need breakfast and I have to get going as well. I just hope that I don't have a team that wishes for another teacher simply because they realize I'm blind. I'm just as capable, if not more, than most Jōnin.”

Sending small pulses of chakra through his bare feet, Ren walked to his bedroom, reaching for the hitai-ate on his dresser and tying around his head, shifting it so that his eyes were covered. He had already gotten pants on, something simple to him since he knew the difference between his uniform pants, normal pants, and lounge pants. Shirts were easy as well, considering he wore a mesh tee under a normal t-shirt , his uniform shirt, or even his lounging shirt. He liked the feeling of the mesh against his skin, it made him comfortable. Making sure his necklace was tied securely around his neck, he finished getting dressed and headed into the kitchen to fix up a healthy breakfast for the growing ninja he was taking care of.

The food was soon finished, something he took pride in, knowing that he could cook a decent meal while not being able to see it. He set the two plates down on the table, sitting down as Sasuke walked in and took his seat beside him.

“ _Itadakimasu_ ”

A soft smile painted Ren’s lips at the quiet clinking of silverware against the plates, the sounds of delight coming from Sasuke providing some encouragement to his cooking skills.

“ _Nē_ …”

“Mmm? _Nani_?”

“You miss him, don’t you _nii-san_.”

Ren swore his heart stopped, letting out a forced chuckle a few moments later. Yes, he missed Itachi. He missed how the slightly older twin would tease him, praising him for doing well and keeping up with him. Itachi was the only one who could see Ren for himself, and not a blind weakling like his own father had seen him as.

But he would never tell Sasuke that. The younger Uchiha hated him, hated Itachi with a burning passion, enough to claim he would avenge everyone the eldest had killed.

“ _ī-īe_... What makes you think that...? Come on, you need to get moving. Plus, I need to head over to the academy and meet my team. Let's go, get a move on.”

He dodged the topic completely, trying to hold himself together. He needed to be strong. Yes, he deeply missed Itachi, but he would be cast out  if he ever expressed his thoughts. People thought of anyone associated with the older Uchiha to be a criminal as well. A flaw this village held, he hated that people couldn't see the right from wrong.

He wanted to change the way things worked, wanted people to understand that there wasn't a need to constantly accuse others, that they could live in peace. But that could only happen once each village was gone, and people relied on others instead of being selfish. That was his one goal, really. To create a world where people could live in a perfect world.

“I'm leaving, Ren. I'm not done with this conversation, but I'll wait till today is over to continue it.”

The sound of a door closing, harshly, rang in his ears before he turned and punched the wall next to him.

“ _Kuso_!”

“ _Nē_ Ren-kun, the wall never did anything to hurt you. Unless you ran into it, but that still would be your fault, wouldn't it.”

“Shut up, Zetsu. He's just a child, he can't possibly know what the true reason for Itachi killing everyone was. And he won't know, _if you know what's good for you_.”

“Oh, tense subject, huh? Don't worry, Ren-kun. The secret is safe with me. Although, I don't know if I can say the same for someone else...”

Ren turned to where he sensed the humanoid creature, his head aching from the concentration of chakra growing behind his eyes.

“Oh? So your body still wants to activate it, yet your blindness doesn't allow it.”

Ren held his head in his hands, groaning in pain as he sank to his knees. “ _I-Itachi-nii_ …” He whispered, crying out in pain as he pulled at his hair. Soon the throbbing in his head began to fade, leaving a dull ache as a reminder. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to stand up.

“How is _Itachi-nii_...?” He asked softly, knowing that staying with people like the Akatsuki wasn't easy on the older twin.

“His eyesight is getting worse, but I'm assuming you knew that.”

Ren gave a glare to the humanoid, shaking his head and turning to the door. “Please keep me updated on him, okay Zetsu? _You know what will happen to you if you lie to me._ ”

The humanoid shivered at his tone, giving a cheeky smile before disappearing into the ground. The Uchiha rolled his eyes, walking out of the apartment and locking it tight.

Walking through the village, he began reminiscing on how it used to be, the days he would spend walking through the village with Itachi, holding onto Sasuke’s hand and laughing at the energetic boy. He remembered how before Sasuke was born, they would run through the village, greeting the shopkeepers and eating dango when they could.

He didn't know what the village looked like, but he assumed it was beautiful. Some of the perks of being blind, he didn't know what people looked like, so he could imagine them how he wanted to. Before long he noticed the change in scenery, well the change in what the chakra released through his feet hit, and reached  a hand out to open the door to the academy.

Listening to his padded shoes hitting the ground, faint memories of being here with Itachi plagued his mind. He turned to face a closed door, the three chakra signatures foreign to him, yet he expected that considering he hadn't met them any time before now.

He opened the door and smiled, waving slightly in a greeting. “ _Ohayo_. My name is Ren and I'll be your sensei from now on.”

“Um... Why is your hitai-ate covering your eyes?”

“ _Baka_! You don't ask questions like that Satoshi! It was the same thing when you asked why Kohaku covers half his face with hair!”

Ren blinked, turning his head to face the silent male in the room. “Ah, follow me. We can go somewhere I have in mind to introduce ourselves.” He suggested, smiling softly as he motioned them to follow him. The only way he knew they were following him was by their quiet footsteps, and the chakra signatures keeping up with him.

He turned and walked out towards some of the open space near the academy, smiling softly as he felt the warm sun on his face. “Here is good. Please, make yourself comfortable in the grass.” He smoothly sat down, unsure of what to say.

“Hmm... Ah. I have an idea. Please, tell me your names, and what you want to improve on as a shinobi... more or less what your goals are. “ He suggested, noticing their hesitation. “Ah, I'll start.

“My name is Ren Uchiha. My brother is Sasuke Uchiha, and I'm about four years older than him. I graduated the academy at age seven, became Chūnin at age ten, and Jōnin at age thirteen. My goal is to one day create a world where we don't need war, or violence, to live peacefully with others who do not share our beliefs.

“Now you go.”

He pointed towards the male on his left, smiling softly in encouragement.

“ _H-Hai_... My name is Satoshi Aoi, I have an older sister who just recently got married, and my parents run a farmer's market. Um... I really don't have a goal. I like to go with the flow, yet I have a very curious nature about things I don't understand.”

“ _Yoshi_. Next?”

“ _Hai_! My name is Kimizuki Nanari, and I'm an only child! My papa makes weapons and my mom runs a bakery! I wanna be a great ninja, so that my dad can be proud of me! He lives in Kumo, and I don't get to see him very often. My goal is to become a great kunoichi so that my dad can see I can protect my mom while he's away.”

“Kumo? Why so far?”

“His papa is sick so he's taking care of him.”

“Ah... Next?”

“Kohaku Mitsuo. My older brother is missing. My mom is dead. My dad is a drunk. My goal is to prove I'm not worthless.”

“ _Sokka_ … Variety. I enjoy variety. Now, I'm assuming you have a question for me...?”

Ren let out a quiet sigh, hopefully his students wouldn't want a different sensei after he told them…

“Mmhmm! Why do you cover your eyes with your hitai-ate?”

“Why do I cover them huh…” He murmured, reaching back to untie the hitai-ate, closing his eyes as he pulled it away carefully . He gradually let his gaze drift upwards, opening his eyes slowly and preparing himself for the worst. “I'm blind. Have been since birth...”

He heard a quiet gasp from someone, yet he didn't hear any sort of murmuring of wanting a different sensei. He took that as a good sign.

“So like you can't see a single thing? How do you know when it's day or night? How did you even make it here?!” Ren chuckled at the questions he was asked, holding a hand up to stop them. “One at a time please, okay? I'll answer all your questions, so please ask them one at a time.

“Yes, I am completely blind, I cannot see a thing. I can only see darkness, nothing more. I know when it is day or night when I feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, and yes I can tell the difference between shadows and night time, simply by the abrupt change between shade and daylight versus the slow fade of day to night. And finally, I know where I'm going simply by sending pulses of chakra through my feet and sensing when they hit certain things. A building feels different from a person.”

“ _Sugee_! That's so cool, maybe you could teach Kohaku how to do that too!”

A small frown tugged at Ren’s lips, as he turned to face the male that had hardly spoken at all. “Mmm? Teach Kohaku?” He asked softly, subtly asking the male to explain why his teammates had suggested something like that.

“... I can't use one of my eyes. My perception is off because of it.”

“ _Sokka_ … Now, sending chakra through your feet like what I do takes a lot of control. Too much and you'll drain yourself quickly, too little and you won't be able to sense a thing. I have an idea for what we can do tomorrow. I'd like to see where all your skills are at, so Satoshi and Kimizuki I'd like you both to spar while I watch, and then I will spar with Kohaku to see where his faults are. I'm guessing that you're lacking depth perception, and also have a narrower range of vision because of it. I'll go easy on you, because no offence, but myself at full capacity is something the three of you combined can't handle.”

This was good. Ren was happy, his students actually respected him for being blind and wanted to keep him as their sensei. Not to mention he could inspire one of his own students, to hopefully show Kohaku that being blind, whether fully or half, wasn't a burden. Granted he did have Uchiha blood running through his veins, but he never wanted to claim that that was the reason he was skilled. He couldn't even possess the one thing Uchiha’s were known for, so he felt that he succeeded from his hard work, not genetics.

“Since you guys will be training tomorrow, I believe it is good to rest well a day before, so you guys can head home if you'd like. I can walk each of you home if needed, and can meet parents as well.”

He smiled as both Kimizuki and Satoshi said yes, retying his hitai-ate over his eyes and motioning Kohaku to walk next to him. He allowed his two more talkative students to lead, following them and picking up small things about them. Kimizuki tended to have more of a skip in her step, and Satoshi had a slight scuff to his steps. The thing that surprised him the most was the fact that Kohaku made no sound whatsoever. That waved a red flag, yet he didn't want to draw any conclusions yet.

Meeting both Satoshi and Kimizuki’s parents was easy enough, they were surprised to hear that Ren was blind, but nonetheless thanked him for teaching their child and told him he was always welcome in their homes. Walking back down the road through the village, he could almost _see_ the reluctance in Kohaku’s footsteps.

“I'm not going to ask or judge you, it's not my place to do so, but if you ever need someone to talk to or even just a place to stay if you don't want to be home, my door is always open. Here,” Ren paused and reached into his thigh holster, pulling out a small scroll with two black stripes on it. “This is one of my summons, she's a white crow, but smaller than the rest so she can be hidden easier. You can summon her when you need a companion, or if you want to come to my apartment. All you need to do is get a little bit of your blood on it, then do these signs,”

He showed the male the five signs used, then held the scroll out for him to take. He could feel the hesitation Kohaku was feeling, patiently waiting for his student to take the scroll.

“Thanks... I won't need it, but if it makes you feel better sensei then I'll take it.”

Ren nodded softly, “I understand. Just don't hesitate to use it when you do.”

He allowed them to continue their walk, noticing the way the buildings felt different than in the more populated areas of Konoha. He felt Kohaku pause, and turn towards what Ren could describe as a very poorly kept house.

“I'm fine sensei. My dad most likely won't be awake, and he won't be very pleasant to be around if he is woken up. I'll see you tomorrow sensei.”

“Alright. My offer stands Kohaku, I'm here if you need me.”

Forcing himself to turn away and ignore the alarms ringing in his head, Ren made his way back to the apartment he shared with Sasuke. It was quiet inside so he assumed that the Uchiha wasn't back from meeting his sensei, deciding that he would head out to get some dinner and bring some back for the younger male. Quickly scribbling down a small note letting Sasuke know where he was, he left the apartment for the second time that day and made his way around the village to decide where he'd be eating.

“Ren! Over here!” He stopped when he heard someone call his name, turning in the direction of the voice. “Kurenai-san?”

“Please, drop the formalities hun! I might be older than you but you have more experience as a Jōnin than myself. If anything, I should be using honorifics with your name!”

Ren chuckled softly, the weight of the recently deemed Jōnin kunoichi resting on his shoulders when she wrapped an arm around his neck and leaned on him.

“I apologize but you are still older than me Kurenai-san, so I must be polite.”

“Pshh, Uchihas and their formality. Why don't you come and eat with myself and Asuma?”

“You mean your boyfriend? No thanks, I'd rather not be a third wheel. Thanks for the offer though.” He responded cheekily, “I was only planning on buying something to take home, plus something for Sasuke since he wasn't back from meeting his sensei yet. I'm just hoping he didn't get Kakashi-san, I won't tolerate him thinking that being tardy is okay.”

“Oh yes, your adorable little brother! I hear he has quite the fan club.”

Ren sighed, “Yes, they do tend to be a hassle when they find me though. They all focus their attention on me till they realize I am blind before going back to pestering Sasuke. I would feel bad if it weren't for the fact that they stay away from me.”

Kurenai gave a small laugh, patting his shoulder before moving away. “Well, if you change your mind and would like to, you can always come find Asuma and myself and have dinner with us.” She smiled and waved at him, not that he could see it, and headed back to where Asuma was waiting for her.

“ _Jā matane_.”

Continuing his walk through the village he decided just to stop and buy some groceries, and was soon heading back to his apartment to cook dinner. Walking into the apartment he noticed Sasuke's chakra signature in his room, so he decided to greet the younger Uchiha.

“ _Ohayo_ , Sasuke. I'm about to make dinner, would you like something specific or even to help me out?”

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“So, who did you get as your sensei? How's your team?” Ren asked as they both sat on the sill of the window in his room, he always made sure to leave some time before they went to bed to just talk to each other. Maybe he did it because Itachi used to do it with him, but he felt the need to let Sasuke know he was always there to listen to him and help him in any way he could.

“Kakashi is my sensei, and I don't really like my teammates. One of them is a girl and she's really annoying, she's obsessed over me and I don't like her like that. The other is Naruto, he's such a dobe sometimes, I wonder how he even graduated.”

“Kakashi-san? Of course, now don't you dare start thinking it is okay to be late like he is. Naruto ka..? If the Hokage put you on a team then he obviously has a reason for it. He sets them up in ways that he knows will work.. Just let it go and see how it turns out.”

“Hn… _Nē_ , what about your team _nii-san_?”

Ren smiled, then frowned when he remembered one of his students. “Well, I'm still a sensei. My team is very diverse, a female whose father is in Kumo right now, so she wants to be able to protect her mother while he's away, a male who has civilian parents so he might need extra help, but I believe in him, and another male who I’m slightly concerned about his home life…

“See he's half blind, he can't see out of one of his eyes, but he never explained how, and told me that his dad is a drunk, his mother is dead, and his older brother is missing..”

Ren paused, his cloudy eyes looking down at the ground below them. _I wonder if Itachi-nii has seen him.. I miss Itachi-nii…_

“ _Nii-san_? _Daijōbudesuka_? Why are you crying..”

Ren flinched when he felt a hand against his cheek, now noticing the wetness that dripped from his cheeks. He bit his lip and gave Sasuke a weak smile, trying to hold back the dam of tears. “I-I'm fine Sasuke.. I-I got something in my eyes..”

A sob slipped through his lips, and he quickly turned away and moved further into his room as he muffled his crying with one of his hands. He sank to his knees as he felt Sasuke move to comfort him, sniffling as he tried to stop the tears.

“ _Nii-san.. Daijōbudayo._ I'm going to be really strong and you can stop being so strong for me. I want to be able to protect you _nii-san_ , so I'm going to get strong, stronger than you, so that I can do so.”

Another sob ripped through Ren’s lips, pulling the younger Uchiha into his arms tightly. “ _G-Gomenasai..!_ Sasuke.. I-I don't need you to think you must be strong because I'm different.. I-I'm not a Jōnin for nothing..”

He gave a small smile to Sasuke, lifting his brother up and carrying them to his bed. “I know you're too old for this, but as a child you would ask to sleep with me so that I wouldn't forget you. You didn't understand that I just couldn't see you, so you were afraid that if I slept without you that I wouldn't remember you.. _Onegaishimasu_ …”

“ _Nii-san_ , I won't leave you.”

Ren bit back the sob that wanted to spill from his lips, nodding as he squeezed his eyes shut.

“ _Arigatōgozaimashita…_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm unsure when my next update will come out, probably in a month if I have time since things are busy as fuck right now.


	3. I Won't Let Anyone Hurt You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm in the mood to post a new chapter, be happy cause I'm hella stressed about finals rn

_ “Hey look, it's Itachi’s stupid blind brother. I wonder how he’s even related to Itachi, he's from such a powerful clan. Maybe his parents just don't like him since they only need one heir.” _

_ Ren blinked and turned slightly towards his classmates, looking down for a moment before looking back up at them. “I was born blind; my parents love me just as much as they love Itachi..” He mumbled, which was half true. _

_ “Keep telling yourself that, cripple. You know, Itachi would be a lot better off without you. He worries too much about keeping you safe, if you were gone he wouldn't have to worry anymore. What do you say guys, how about we teach him a lesson.” _

_ Ren flinched at the tone, taking a moment to realize the chakra signatures were getting closer before someone had pinned his arms behind his back, to the point where it felt like they were being pulled from their sockets. He winced as he was directed to follow them, knowing that he was outnumbered. He might as well just take the punishment.. Anything to keep Itachi from going overboard. _

_ He stumbled when he was pushed to the ground, his fingers taking in his surroundings. Dirt, the occasional bits of grass, and fewer noises filled his senses. They were in a secluded training ground, and no one would be able to find him now. _

_ “Who wants to get the first hit in?” _

_ “I'll do it.” Ren scrambled to move away when someone grabbed him by the hair, pulling him away from his salvation before a punch to the face sent him back. He grunted in pain when he hit the ground, blood sliding from his nose as pain erupted all over his back. He felt hands grab onto his weak arm, tightening around the limb before an excruciating pain caused him to scream out. _

_ The audible snap confirmed that his arm had been broken, and whimpers began to slip from his lips as the overwhelming urge to call out for Itachi arose. He bit his lip and refused, he didn't want to feel weaker than he already was. _

_ “What's going on here?” _

_ Ren almost sobbed in relief when he heard Itachi’s voice, before the fear for his classmates’ lives arose. The quick scattered footsteps made him calm down, knowing that they were saved from his brother’s wrath for one day. _

_ “Ren.. Oh my god..!” _

_ A whimper left his lips when he felt Itachi trying to lift him, gripping his arm tightly to stop him. “D-Don't move me, j-just go find a medic ninja or someone to help me.. I-I'll be fine..” He told the male, grimacing in pain. “M-Moving me can cause it to become worse than it is..” _

_ The sounds of Itachi’s fading footsteps told him that the elder twin had gone to find someone, using his good arm to at least get a sense of how bad it was. He sent a small pulse of chakra out from his hand, wincing as the mental picture formed. His elbow was bending the wrong way, no wonder it hurt to try and move the limb. _

_ The sound of hurried footsteps and Itachi’s voice brought him out of his thoughts, and hands on his broken arm caused his back to arch away from the touch. The familiar feeling of Itachi’s hands lifting into a sitting position calmed him, but he still was tense considering someone else was holding the broken limb. _

_ “Ren it's okay, I found Shisui and he's going to help me get you to a medic.” _

_ Ren calmed knowing it was Shisui, allowing them to help him stand. _

_ “Itachi I need you to hold your brother still for a moment, okay?” _

_ Ren felt his twin nod before arms wrapped around his chest, holding him up in a standing position. _

_ “Hold him tight okay?” _

_ “Itachi-nii..?” Ren whispered, screaming out in pain almost immediately afterward. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he thrashed around in Itachi's hold. “Ren I needed to set your arm back correctly or it would've been worse off once a medic healed you.” _

_ Said male was still crying in Itachi’s arms, but he tried to muffle his sounds and calm down. _

_ “Ren.. I promise.. I won't let anyone hurt you anymore.” _

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“Daijōbu. Satoshi and Kimizuki I want a fair fight, please no trying to kill the other. I only wish to see your skill level, and then I can give critiques and ways to help you improve. Kohaku, I'd like for you to watch them as well, because they are your teammates and you should be accustomed to working fluidly with them.”

Ren patted the grass next to him, feeling the shift before Kohaku sat next to him, glancing back to the two Genin in their own fighting stances.

“Ready…

“Begin!”

He could feel the surge in chakra coming from Kimizuki’s side, noticing that Satoshi was waiting, as if analyzing the possible outcomes. The purple-haired girl quickly did a few signs, calling out “Kage Bushin no Jutsu!” Three clones formed next to her, and she quickly had them circle around Satoshi, leaving no room for the brunette to flee. Each of the clones pulled out a few shuriken, quickly sending them towards the male.

Satoshi retaliated by jumping up into the air and dodging them before throwing four precise kunai at each Kimizuki, nailing the three clones while the real one dodged.

Ren deduced that Satoshi was more of the brains of the team, he was good at analyzing situations and countering attacks against him, all in a few seconds time. Kimizuki was definitely the brute force, attacking straightforward and leaving no room for the opponent to try and strategize.

“Kimizuki leaves a lot of openings when attacking.” He heard Kohaku murmur, smiling faintly before resuming watching their sparring match. He noticed both had now opted for hand to hand combat, noticing the small quirks in their moves. Satoshi kept everything close to him in order to block, his stance on the more defensive side, while Kimizuki was powerful with quick blows, but yes, she did leave a lot of openings. Granted a teammate could cover those, but if she were alone, she wouldn't stand a chance.

Satoshi seemed to have noticed that she would leave openings, faking attacks on one side before attacking her openings. The sparring was soon over as Ren stopped them, standing up and walking over to his two genin students. “Both of you have strengths and weaknesses, and I can tell where we need to work on things. Good job, both of you.”

Ren gave them a smile, his head tilted slightly to the side, before motioning Kohaku over. “Kohaku has also watched and critiqued, so please be open about it. I do not want anyone in this team to be biased to an opinion.”

All three genin nodded, and the Uchiha nodded in acceptance. “Alright, Satoshi and Kimizuki please take a seat, Kohaku it's your turn to spar. Both of you please watch how he fights, know how he works and his mannerisms so that you can work efficiently together.”

Ren silently took his stance, his left foot slightly behind him and parallel to where his shoulders were facing, his right foot forward and pointed out in front of him. His right hand moved forward in front of his chest, free to block any attack coming at him while his hand was open and relaxed, his left arm closer to his side, hand clenched in a fist and ready to deal a blow or grab a weapon from the pouch on his left thigh.

He let out a slow breath, sending a large pulse of chakra out from his feet and getting a bearing on his surroundings. “Are you ready Kohaku?”

“Hai.”

“Begin.”

The quick shift in chakra caused his weight to shift back, bracing himself for the quick kick to his right side. His right arm moved to block, sending a pulse of chakra out as it connected with Kohaku’s leg, painting a picture of how the male was positioned before his left hand moved forward to grab the genin by his arm, left leg pushing forward and behind Kohaku’s right leg, kicking it out from under him to knock him off balance.

A thud sounded as Kohaku hit the ground, a scuffling sound following it before Ren’s legs were taken out from under him as well. He quickly braced himself and flipped backward, distancing himself from the male.

“Not bad.. Weak blocks from blindside.. Compensation of left side strength…” Ren mumbled to himself, regaining his stance.

Kohaku definitely needed to have some dire need to protect himself if he puts that much force into his left side…

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“All three of you did well today. Satoshi, you seem to evaluate a situation before attacking, which is good, but you hold back. You wanted to justify your inference but with the time it took you, the enemy could have already changed tactics to protect their weakness.”

Said male nodded, hands stuffed in his pockets.

“Kimizuki, you put power in your strikes, which is very good. Most kunoichi don't have your strength at your age, so I'm impressed, but you leave a lot of openings when you attack or go to dodge. A teammate can help if they aren't occupied, so we'll have to work on that.”

“Hai!” She smiled and determination shone in her eyes.

“Kohaku, I'm most impressed by you. You're very good at both defense and offense, leaving very little room for error. You put power in your strike and don't hesitate, yet you can also come up with a plan of attack while fighting. When I had kicked your leg out from under you, you quickly retaliated by doing the same to me, hoping to buy yourself time before my next attack.”

The redhead let out a huff and looked away, but Ren could tell he was embarrassed by the praise. “All of you have done far better than I expected. I'm very proud of you, but you need to not let it get to your head. There is always room for improvement.”

Ren glanced up at the sky, feeling where the sun was coming from before looking where his students were at. “Considering we finished early and we don't have as much to work on than I would've thought, how would you like to see my younger brother Sasuke and his team?”

Both Kimizuki and Satoshi nodded, the latter less excited than the other, but nonetheless both did want to see the team. “Kohaku? Would you like to come as well? If a parent wants an explanation on why you are later than usual I'm more than willing to come with you.” I don't want your father to hit you if you have a curfew.

“It's fine sensei. My dad won't be home for a couple days.” He's going out drinking and is going to crash at some girl's house before coming home tomorrow.

“Okay. Come on then, I'm quite curious if they passed the test..”

Ren began walking with his students in tow, slowing down slightly when Kimizuki asked a question.

“A test, sensei?”

“Ah, Kakashi-san, my brother's sensei, gives every team he is put in charge of, a test. He wants to see if they are capable of teamwork, because he lost his own team when he was young. He doesn't want to lose anyone else.”

“Eh? So if they can't cooperate, then what happens to them sensei?”

“I'm glad you asked Satoshi, he usually puts them back in the academy. He doesn't want them to go out fighting when they aren't ready and can easily get themselves killed.”

“Hmm… So did we pass your test sensei?”

“My test? Ah, I don't have a test. I'm more concerned about how each of you thinks, how you attack, how you block, and approve of a team that way. Although.. this is my first official team so..”

“First?! Why?”

“Because most students fresh out of the academy don't want a blind sensei. They believe that I'm unable to reach because I cannot physically see them.”

“That's stupid.”

Ren smiled slightly from Kohaku’s input.

“Yes, it is, but I have you three as my students so I couldn't ask for anyone else. I wouldn't want anyone else anyways.”

“Are you just saying that or do you really mean it?”

“I mean it Kimizuki. I like how each of you fights and thinks, it's variety and there's nothing fun about the same thing repeatedly. I also don't want perfect students, I want you to question my logic, I want to help you grow as a person, and become more confident in yourself. You are never a weak link, none of you. No matter your weakness, you can always overcome things that stand in your way. How else do you think I was willing to try again for a team after being told students didn't want me because of my blindness?

“My point is, everyone can bring out light in someone else, they can always help someone realize their true potential..” Like Itachi-nii..

“Now, they should be around here somewhere..” He sent a pulse of chakra through his feet, looking around and taking a few steps forward before picking up on his brothers’ chakra. “Ah. There he is. Sasu..ke..?”

Ren froze on the spot, the image of Kakashi sitting on top of him with a kunai to his neck painted in his mind. He didn't even think, he just reacted, rushing forward and disarming the Jōnin, quickly placing him in a joint lock, his strong arm pinned behind his back while Ren pinned him to the ground.

“I want to know, why did you have a kunai to my brother’s neck, Kakashi-san.”

“Nii-san..?”

“I want an answer Kakashi, before I snap your arm.”

“Ren, what a nice surprise.”

Ren quickly flipped away and landed in front of Sasuke, arms crossed to protect his face if the shuriken that the silver-haired Jōnin had pulled from his weapons pouch were thrown at him.

When he deemed Kakashi not a threat anymore, he turned and checked Sasuke for any injuries. “Are you hurt? What did I say about underestimating your opponent and overestimating your abilities! You're up against a Jōnin Sasuke, my level of skill! Baka!”

He scolded the younger Uchiha, unaware of his own genin team standing with surprised faces, nor Sasuke’s team who was either glaring at himself or glaring at Sasuke.

“Nii-san I'm fine! Quit smothering me, I'm not a child anymore.”

“Sasuke, you will always be a child to me. Okā-san and Otō-san wanted me to protect you, so I will.”

He sighed and ruffled the younger’s hair. “I'll always have a weak spot for you Sasuke, you're all I have left and vice versa. We’ll stick together, until the end.”

“Nē nē Kakashi-sensei, who is that?”

Ren turned and faced his younger brother’s teammates, instantly noticing the powerful chakra hidden away in the other male student.

Kyuubi..ka?

“Pardon my abrupt arrival, I would have properly introduced myself if someone hadn't had a kunai pressed to a genin’s neck. I am Ren Uchiha, Sasuke’s older brother by five years. Ah, these are my students as well. Kimizuki, Satoshi and Kohaku are the genin I am teaching.”

“Nii-san you didn't need to help me. I told you that I can become strong enough to protect you..” Sasuke grumbled, causing a small chuckle to leave Ren’s lips.

“Sasuke how many times do I need to tell you, I can handle myself. I'm a Jōnin, I don't need you to worry about protecting me from anyone, despite my weakness.”

“I'm not talking about some attacker.. I mean if Ita-”

“Sasuke. Enough. I can handle it okay?”

“Nnngghhh why does he have his hitai-ate covering his eyes? Is he an idiot, obviously no one can see through it so he's basically blinding himself.” Naruto grumbled, huffing and crossing his arms.

Ren tensed, he didn't want anyone else to know he was blind. His students deserved to know, keeping it from Sasuke was out of the question, and most people who knew Itachi knew he was blind.

An arm around his shoulder caused him to tense up even more, body poised and ready to strike if needed.

“Yea Ren, why do you keep your eyes covered?”

Ren gritted his teeth, he knew Kakashi was baiting him since he still had ties to his brother, but using his own student’s curiosity against him was a low blow.

He must have blanked out for a second, because the next thing he knew, his hitai-ate was not resting against his eyes, and Kakashi was a few feet away, dangling it like a prize.

“if you want it, come get it.”

Ren grit his teeth; his cloudy orbs holding a burning rage and hate for the older ninja in the village.

“Oh! He's blind..”

Ren’s glare shifted to where the pinkette stood, daring her to say something more before he returned his blind gaze to Kakashi.

“Give me back my hitai-ate, Kakashi. I'd rather not kick your ass in front of your students.”

“Nii-san..”

“Sensei..!”

He tensed, gritting his teeth harder before forcing himself to turn away. “Whatever. It doesn't matter. Keep it. I'll be home once you're done Sasuke.”

He began to walk off, it wasn't worth fighting someone else over, no matter how much he hated every other ninja over Jōnin level right now.

“Oh? So the Leaf doesn't mean anything to you then? You're just like him.. Just like-”

In an instant Ren had a kunai pressed to Kakashi’s neck, gritting his teeth harder when pressure formed behind his eyes.

“Just like who, Kakashi. Egging me on.. You're no better… Friend-killer Kakashi..”

A smirk pulled at Ren’s lips, he knew how that had affected Kakashi, yet he could care less about it. He'd stepped over the line trying to compare Itachi to him, and now he wasn't going to hold back.

“N-Nē… Kakashi-sensei..? If Ren-sensei can't see.. Then how does he know where you are.. I mean obviously he can't see anything, so how is he even a Jōnin sensei..?”

Ren's glare morphed into a sinister smirk, turning slightly to face the pinkette. “How can I see, huh.. Seems your students are dumber than I had thought, Kakashi. I at least expected some sort of brain from the pink-haired one, but she's just as dimwitted as the blond.

“How about I show you, nē? A good old-fashioned sparring match Kakashi.. I know I'm dying to see if you've changed.”

He smirked and yanked his hitai-ate out of the Jōnin’s grip, flipping back before retying it back over his eyes.

“How about it, Kakashi? I would like to show your students that just because I am blind, does not mean I am helpless.”

He smirked and got into his fighting stance, sending a pulse of chakra through his feet and grinning as Kakashi got into his own stance.

“Satoshi. Count us down please. Kimizuki, Kohaku, and Sasuke please stand to the side, I wouldn't like any of you to get in the way.”

“Nii-san..”

“It's alright Sasuke.”

Ren let out a slow breath as Satoshi began to countdown.

“Five.

“Four.”

Ren clenched his left fist, he'd probably start off with some weapons or taijutsu, if Kakashi didn't decide to start with ninjutsu.

“Two.

“One.

“Go.”

Ren shifted his weight back as Kakashi ran forward, quick pulses of chakra from his feet allowing him to tell where exactly Kakashi was coming from. A quick shift to his right caused him to block from the right, his free left hand gripping a kunai as he swiped towards the silver-haired male.

Both males flipped away from each other, Ren’s hands quickly moving in signs for jutsu. “Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!” A large ball of flames left his mouth, incinerating the area where Kakashi was standing just moments ago.

Ren clicked his tongue, spinning around to quickly block the kunai Kakashi was holding. “Are you only going to dodge and attack with weapons? Use some ninjutsu for crying out loud, show me your real power.” Ren grinned darkly, his cloudy orbs holding a dangerous gleam if anyone could see them.

He'd never felt so alive in a sparring match before, to be honest, most people wouldn't bother looking past his almost identical features to Itachi, so he never really got the chance to truly test his strength.

“Suiton: Suidon no Jutsu!”

Ren was unable to dodge the attack from so close, causing him to become drenched in water.

He froze up, his hands beginning to shake before he sank to his knees. He ripped his hitai-ate away from his face and gripped it tightly, his free hand moving up to cover his eyes, touching his face to remind him that it was only a jutsu and nothing else.

He flinched and let out a scream when someone touched his shoulder, shoving them away as he sought out the only comforting source of chakra.

“S-Sasuke..!”

Said Uchiha quickly ran to his brother, stunned to feel the older male wrap his arms around him tightly, but allowed him to do it nonetheless. Feeling Sasuke’s chakra right in front of him, and being able to hold the younger male, was able to calm Ren down to where he wasn't shaking anymore.

“K-Kohaku, Satoshi, Kimizuki.. Y-You can go home.. I'll let you know once we start missions and such..”

“Sensei..”

“Just go.. I'll be fine, go on. I have summonings that can get you if I need to.”

He'd finally managed to calm down when the traces of his students’ chakras had disappeared, wiping away the tears in his eyes before he stood on shaky feet.

“Nii-san..”

“It's okay Sasuke.. I'll be fine.. I'm gonna head home, you hurry up okay? I'll make something homey for dinner okay?”

He gave his younger brother a small smile, his body disappearing with a flock of white crows, transporting himself back to their apartment.

He breathed out a small sigh, angry with himself for panicking over getting drenched with a water jutsu.

_ “Who are you? What are you doing with my brother?” _

Ren flinched, trying to block the memories away.

_ “You ninja are always so annoying. Meddling in things that don't concern you.” _

“Stop! Leave me alone!”

_ “Maybe if I get rid of you then he won't be so distracted. You're a burden to him.” _

Ren sank to his knees, covering his ears with his hands. “Please..!”

*Flashback*

_ Ren glared at the male Itachi was talking to, he didn't like him. The male’s chakra was dark, one that made Ren shiver before he realized Itachi’s chakra was gone. _

_ He hopped down from the branch he was sitting on, walking towards the male. _

_ “Who are you? What are you doing with my brother?” _

_ He asked boldly, his cloudy orbs narrowed. _

_ “Oh? So you were the one who was watching us? You look just like him, brothers I'm assuming.” _

_ Ren grit his teeth. _

_ “I don't know who you are, but I don't like you. Your chakra is too dark, and you aren't a good influence on my brother. Stay away from him.” _

_ The mystery male clicked his tongue, stalking towards Ren. _

_ “You ninja are always so annoying. Meddling in things that don't concern you.” _

_ “If it involves my brother, then it does concern me. Stay away from him.” _

_ “Tch. Maybe if I get rid of you then he won't be so distracted. You're a burden to him.” _

_ Ren grit his teeth harder, gasping in shock when one arm was pinned behind his back in a painful way, the weight of a hand on the back of his neck causing him to tense up. _

_ “Let me go..” _

_ “See I can't do that. You know too much, and I don't need you interfering.” _

_ Ren flinched when his head was dunked into a nearby stream, screaming out when he realized he was going to be drowned. His free hand clawed at the hand holding his neck, hoping to free himself but to no avail. _

_ He grits his teeth, his cloudy orbs holding a look that morphed into defeat. _

Itachi-nii..

_ Ren shook the feeling of defeat away, determination rising as black spots filled his vision. _

I refuse to die..!

_ His cloudy orbs turned red, two tomoe in one of his eyes and one in the other. He quickly grabbed a rock near him, slamming it against the hand holding his neck. He pushed himself out of the water once he was free, coughing up water as his Sharingan blazed red. _

_ His vision was slightly hazy, which was to be expected since he was blind. How he managed to gain the Sharingan, he didn't know, but he wouldn't question it now. _

_ “Oh? I'm quite surprised. Seems you will be useful.. At a later date. Those eyes aren't needed right now.” _

_ Ren stumbled back, flinching when he was grabbed and a hand was placed over his eyes. His Sharingan faded, his cloudy orbs returning. Pain immediately struck him, crying out as his head pounded. _

_ “Those eyes will be sealed long enough for Itachi to come to me. You will come to me as well. We seek the same dream, a world where there is no fighting. I will be waiting, Ren Uchiha.” _

_ “W-Who are you..?” _

_ “Me? … Obito. But you will remember me as Madara.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure when the next chapter will come out since I have an internship and also am getting a job so I'll try guys


	4. Little Brothers are Sacred

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is probably all over the place, it's been beta'd but not really read over in a few months since I've been in a funk lately. Hopefully, it's still coherent and makes sense, if it doesn't then please let me know. The next chapter is still in the works, it's halfway, but I haven't had any motivation to write more in a couple months. I'll try but I can't guarantee anything. Hopefully, I'll get it out before the end of August cause classes start back up late August.

“Kuchiyose no Jutsu!”

Three white crows appeared in front of Ren, attentive for his command.

“Shiro, I need you to go get Kira and let the male she is with know that he should meet me near the bridge so that we can start missions. His name is Kohaku, and I also want you to let me know if anything seems fishy. I have a hunch that his father beats him, so please let me know of any abnormalities.”

Said crow nodded, flying off.

“Haki, you will be getting Kimizuki, please let her know where we are meeting, and finally Zen please get Satoshi, he needs to know the same information.”

Both crows flew off, heading out to do their task. Ren sighed, knowing that they were going to be cautious around him after his breakdown the previous day.

The only thing he was worried about, was the seal on his eyes. Madara, or Obito, had said the seal would go away once Itachi was gone, but after the flashback he had had, maybe the seal had broken. Granted, he didn't want to try considering it hurt when he tried to use the Sharingan with the seal still in place.

He shook away his thoughts, heading out towards the bridge. Sasuke had left earlier, something about missions with Kakashi, so Ren didn't bother saying goodbye since no one was in the apartment. He noticed that a chakra signature was already there, most likely Kohaku since he seemed to never want to be home. “Ohayo, Kohaku. I see Shiro already got you. Now we just need to wait for Haki and Zen with Kimizuki and Satoshi.”

He smiled when Shiro let out a caw and landed on his outstretched arm, rubbing his chin softly with a finger before the crow poofed.

“Nē… Sensei, why did you freeze up when Kakashi-sensei soaked you with a water jutsu..?”

Ren signed, he knew the question was going to be asked sooner or later.

“How about we wait till Satoshi and Kimizuki are here before I tell you, okay?”

“Tell us what, Sensei?”

Ren blinked, turning his attention to the two chakra signatures heading his way. He let out another sigh, deciding that he’d only tell them the basics of what caused him to be so afraid of water.

“When I was about twelve or thirteen, around your age actually, my… twin brother got involved with someone. That man was not good, and my naïve self wanted to confront him. He did not want me around my brother, so he tried to drown me. I managed to get free, but I just have a hard time dealing with water jutsu and rain. Showering is fine because I want to get wet, but if I do not willfully get myself wet, I panic. Sasuke calms me down because he’s a familiar chakra signature, so that’s why I called out to him.”

Ren could tell that his students were speechless from his explanation, until Satoshi asked a question.

“Wait, twin brother? I thought Sasuke was your brother?”

Ren sighed once again and nodded, “Hai, twin brother. My twin, older by a few minutes, Itachi Uchiha.”

Kohaku frowned, “Where is he then? I know for a fact that the only one around you is Sasuke.”

Ren let out a forced chuckle, “My brother is... an S-ranked criminal. Before you go asking, my clan has a dark past. What he has done has marked him as a traitor to the Leaf, but only a few select people know the truth. Myself, the Hokage, and elders know, and it is to be kept that way. Please do not concern yourself with it, most do not understand why he has done what he did. I wish for Sasuke to see the other side to it, but he only wishes to kill my brother, and keep me safe because I feel the most pain and backlash for him.”

He began walking towards Hokage Tower, hoping the conversation was done. “Demo, Sensei, if what he has done is not as bad as people see it, why is he still labeled as an S-ranked criminal?”

Ren forced away the grumble of annoyance that wanted to slip past his lips.

“My brother did something terrible, took the burden of it all, and lives today with the knowledge that everyone will hate him forever, except for myself. I am the only one who knows his true pain, and those who believe they know why he did what he did, are wrong. The price he is paying for what he did, has inevitably saved the Leaf from something drastic, and the truth is hidden and will be taken to the grave. My brother will always be a hero, whether people want to believe it or not.”

Ren forced himself to calm down, talking about his brother tended to get him upset, because everyone was too blind to realize the truth. That was why he wanted to change things, why he believed that Obito was right, and that the only way that true peace could ever be achieved, was through a false sense of security, in a world that was just one big dream.

“Enough talking about my brother, and this conversation stays between us. Do you understand?”

“Hai…”

Ren sighed, the three chorused voices of his students’ agreement to end the conversation allowing him to calm down a little.

“Gomen, I tend to get very annoyed when people talk about my brother, I had no right to take it out on you three.”

“Daijōbu, Sensei. We understand. Now, what are we doing as our mission today?”

Ren silently thanked Kimizuki for changing subjects, walking into Hokage Tower to receive their mission.

“I will let you know as soon as the Hokage assigns us one. We most likely will be stuck at D-rank missions for a while, considering you are fresh from the academy Genin.”

He knocked on the door in front of him, opening it and allowing his students to walk in first once he’d received the okay to come in.

“Ohayo, Hokage-sama.” Ren bowed, sliding his hitai-ate down around his neck so that his cloudy orbs were showing. He felt it was disrespectful to hide his blindness to the Hokage, so whenever he was summoned or assigned missions, he would shift his hitai-ate down, making him look almost exactly like his brother, if he’d kept his hitai-ate around his neck. Sometimes it was scary how alike they looked, sometimes Hiruzen would confuse Ren for Itachi.

“Ohayo, Ren. I believe you are here to accept your first mission as a sensei? Normally, I would assign fresh Genin a D-rank mission, but I was told they wouldn’t accept any other ninja except for you, Ren.”

Ren frowned slightly, who would only accept him for the mission?

The sound of paws hitting the floor caused him to turn and face the other door in the room, faint memories of a mission he was assigned when he was a freshly appointed Chūnin, but hadn’t been assigned in a while.

The yap of a wolf met his ears before he was pushed to the floor, the heavy weight of an animal on his chest before a barrage of licks attacked his face.

”Down Kuro!”

The familiar voice caused Ren to perk up, pushing the wolf off himself.

“Fuyuki? There’s only one person that I know with a wolf named Kuro, who would only ask for me to take his mission.”

“You’re still as sharp as ever, Ren. You look the same too, all you’ve done is grown. Do you still hide your eyes?”

Ren let out a chuckle, standing up and greeting the yukata-clad male. He grunted when he was hugged, not expecting anything more than a handshake from the bluenette. “Why don’t you introduce me to these students of yours that seem dumbfounded right now.”

Ren blinked, he’d forgotten that his students were in the room.

“Gomen… These are my students, Kimizuki Nanari,” she smiled and waved, “Satoshi Aoi,” he nodded his head in a greeting, “and Kohaku Mitsuo.” He grunted, glancing at Kuro in disdain.

“Quite the diverse team you got there, the red-head reminds me of you when I first met you. Unattached, just wanting to complete the mission with zero distractions. Ya know, I don’t think you’ve ever failed a mission. Not that I’ve heard of, anyways.”

“I couldn’t afford to fail any missions, you know that.” Ren murmured, blinking and glancing back over at the Hokage. “Is this my usual mission, just with my team accompanying me?” He asked, gaining a nod in response. “Hai. You three, meet me at the front gate at noon, be packed for at least a few days, maybe a week. We’re traveling to the Land of Frost to return Fuyuki back home.”

His three students nodded, walking out the door, but not before Kohaku gave Ren a look that was slightly concerning. Ren frowned slightly, the small flux in his chakra was unnerving, he could’ve practically seen the look he was given.

He flinched slightly when Fuyuki wrapped an arm around his shoulders, glancing to the right to look at the male.

“You and I have a lot to catch up on, don’t we?”

Ren sighed, letting the male lead him out of the Hokage Tower with Kuro in tow. “So tell me, how is Sasuke doing?”

“He’s dead set on getting revenge by killing him. I’ve tried hinting at the fact that he did it for a reason, but he’s just so set on the fact that Itachi killed everyone and wants to pay him back.”

“How are your eyes?”

“I’m not sure… I dreamt about that day. The seal might break soon, I just don’t know when and I don’t want to try. I panicked yesterday because I got soaked in a water jutsu, so that might have something to do with it.”

“How have your students taken your blindness?”

“Surprisingly well, but I’m putting it on the fact that one of them is blind in one eye, so… He worries me.”

“Kohaku?”

“Yea. I think his father beats him, I had Kira stay with him so that he can summon her if he needs me. He hasn’t used it yet but I worry for when he does decide to use it. His brother is missing and his mom is dead so I’ve kinda taken it upon myself to be at least a brotherly figure to him.”

“Do you think his missing brother is with…”

“It’s possible. With the way he acts, I wouldn’t be surprised if his brother was with Obito or Itachi.  He has a lot of darkness in his heart… Like me.”

“You’re thinking of going to him, aren’t you?”

“You know Sasuke is going to find someone to teach him, he won’t be satisfied with the people here. I’ll leave once he does.”

“What about your students? And do you really think that the Hokage will let you leave?”

“Hokage-sama is old, you know that. I won’t be safe here forever. Besides, I need to somehow appease Obito so that he doesn’t go after Sasuke. Granted he does have Itachi right now, but Itachi doesn’t have the darkness in his heart like myself or Sasuke. Plus, my students will be hopefully Chūnin before I leave, I can trust that they won’t make stupid decisions. I know that they’ll bond so much and keep each other from making stupid choices. Kohaku will open up to them, I can guarantee that.”

“You’re really set on going, huh… Just be safe, I know how you can get when people anger you. You don’t need to get yourself in the bingo book like him.”

“I’m not stupid, you know that. Can we please change topics now? How’s life in Frost? Have you found anyone to mentor yet?”

“There’s this one kid I have in mind, but he just assumes that the wolves will listen to him off the start. He doesn’t realize that he needs to gain their trust, and trust them whole-heartedly before any of this can work. I’ll admit, Kuro was a hassle to get to trust me, but I don’t regret anything, and I trust him with my life. Right bud?”

A yip was heard in reply, the blue wolf bounding up and nuzzling his head into Fuyuki’s hand.

“Have you mastered that technique you were working on?”

“Almost. I can get us to link, we just need to work out how we fight. Kuro just wants to go head on, whereas I prefer to think out a plan of attack.”

Kuro whined, which was followed by a snort, causing Ren to chuckle.

“You’ll figure it out. It’s like me and my crows, I trust them, and they trust me, I learned how they fight and I combine my attacks with them so that I can get the most out of it.”

He quickly summoned Shiro, holding his arm out for the crow to land on. He stroked the feathers under his beak, letting the bird move up his arm to sit on his shoulder.

“Shiro was one of the harder to tame, but he’s become one of my closest allies. I trust him, and he tolerates me since I give him the best feather rubs, don’t I?”

The white crow let out a caw, ruffling his feathers. “I didn’t like you because I thought you were a stuck up Uchiha. Now I know that the Uchiha life is not all that it’s cracked up to be. I respect him, and I get respect in return.” Shiro huffed, bristling his feathers for a moment.

“Also, that boy Kira is with, I have a bad feeling about the living arrangements he has. I didn’t see anything major, but I still don’t like it.”

“I had assumed as much, I just hope that having Kira with him will make things a little better, and that he can start standing up for himself since he’s a ninja now.”

The crow cawed in agreement, saluting Fuyuki and Kuro with his wing before poofing.

"I need to let Sasuke know that I'll be on a mission.. I'd like to tell him in person, but I'll probably just have Shiro tell him." Ren mumbled to himself, pulling a scroll from the pouch around his waist. He bit his thumb and smeared the blood over the seal, a small bag poofing into his hands.

"You're always ready to go, aren't you?"

"Habit. I wanted to take every mission I could, to prove that I was capable... Otō-san never believed I could become a ninja. I wish he could see me now, but what happened was inevitable..”

“You know that there wasn’t anything that you could’ve done, considering what you’ve explained about what your father and the Police Force were going to do.”

“But I could’ve tried something. Something to keep Itachi from taking all the blame for what the Uchiha would’ve done. He prevented the fall of Konoha but in return caused the fall of the Uchiha.”

“Ren. You couldn’t’ve done anything. It’s in the past, just leave it there. I know you wish you could’ve done something, but nothing could’ve prevented the fall. The Uchiha brought upon their own downfall, I just wish that they could’ve seen the error before it was too late.”

Ren sighed, knowing Fuyuki was right. “I know. I just wish that it didn’t have to end up this way.”

He sighed when he noticed Kohaku’s chakra near, he hadn’t felt it before, so he hoped that he had only just now tried to follow them, and hadn’t heard their conversation.

“Kohaku come out please. I can sense you, you really shouldn’t try to hide from me.”

Said male walked out from his hiding spot, his bag on his shoulders. Ren could tell by the tense air around him that something had happened, but he knew that the red-haired male wouldn’t say anything about what had happened unless he wanted to.

“How do you know my Sensei?” He asked Fuyuki, a glare on his face that was directed at Kuro.

Fuyuki gave him a smirk, glancing over at Ren before taking a step towards the Genin. “How do I know Ren? He’s taken my mission at least six times, and we’ve bonded over every journey.”

“Why choose Ren though. What about him is so special? Did you ask for him so that you could see if he failed because he’s blind?” He asked, anger laced in his voice.

“Quite the opposite actually. He was chosen for my mission, and I quite like having him as my escort.”

“Then why does he flinch whenever you put your arm around him? Obviously he doesn’t like your excessive touching, so why don’t you just leave him alone?”

“Kohaku, Fuyuki, enough. Fuyuki quit poking fun, obviously he doesn’t like it. Kohaku, please, leave it alone. I’ve grown used to his excessiveness, I just still get a little jumpy when someone touches me when I don’t expect it. Normally I would retaliate back, but since I knew he wasn’t a threat I didn’t bother.”

Ren sighed, his relationship with Fuyuki was different. They weren’t romantically attracted to one another, at least he wasn’t attracted to the bluenette, he wasn’t so sure about how Fuyuki felt, but they were close. He could consider them friends, but he wanted nothing more than that. He was never interested in the idea of love, he found that most relationships never lasted.

“Come on, can we please just get along for the remainder of this mission? I’d rather not deal with both of you bickering the entire journey there.”

He felt the reluctance in both males, yet received some sort of agreement from them. “Good. I’d rather not have to tie you both together for the rest of this mission. That means using the bathroom together and sleeping together. I do not make threats lightly.”

His aura turned threatening, calming down once he felt the fear from both males. “Good. Come now, Satoshi and Kimizuki must already be there.”

He headed towards the entrance to the village, giving a pointed look to both males behind him before greeting his two other students. “Good, all of you are here. Your parents know you are on a mission, I do not need angry parents yelling at me for you not telling them that you are on a mission for about a week.”

When he received two confirming noises from the two students in front of him, he nodded in finality, heading out of the gates. He gave a small wave to Izumo and Kotetsu, stopping a little way away from the gate.

“Do not expect this mission to be all fun and games, you will still be training. First lesson, how to tell directions if you don’t have a compass or get lost. Any ideas?”

“Ask someone who does know the directions.”

“Not funny Fuyuki. Seriously, any guesses?”

“… The sun…”

“Yes, Kohaku, the sun. How?”

“It rises in the east and sets in the west…”

“Exactly. Can anyone tell me which direction is north then?”

“Uh… That way!”

Ren sighed, “No Kimizuki. That is south. North, south, east, west? Good guess though. The sun is high in the sky right now, so it’s hard to tell which direction is which if you didn’t see the sunrise. How do you know what direction you are going if it is night?”

“The sun!”

“Fuyuki, do not mess with my students right now. I will tie you up and drag you to Frost if you do not shut up right now.”

“Oh, kinky.”

“Fuyuki! I will not tell you again. Keep quiet while I am training my students, or I will duck tape your mouth shut.”

“I got it I got it. I’ll keep quiet while you train your students.”

“Thank you. As I was saying, how do you know directions when it is night?”

“The stars…”

“Right again, constellations are your key when there is no sun. It is helpful to memorize a few of them and the direction they face. One final question, what do you do if it is cloudy? How do you know the direction to go in?”

Ren smirked internally, he knew that his students would get stumped on that one.

“I prefer to use sensor types for that kind of scenario, lucky for you I am a sensor, so I can act as your compass. If you don’t have a sensor on your team, I would suggest waiting where you are. It is better to wait in a place you know rather than thinking you are going the right direction, then end up going the wrong way. Granted it is all up to the team captain on what you do, but that is what I suggest for you guys since you’re fresh from the academy.”

There was a faint flicker of violent chakra somewhere north, nothing to be concerned of at the moment, but something for him to keep in mind as they got closer. “Come on, let’s get moving. I’d like to make it at least halfway there before sundown.”

Ren began heading north, occasionally sending pulses of chakra out to keep track of any enemies coming, or if other ninja were near them. “What do any of you know about the Land of Frost?”

“It’s really cold there?”

“Yes, it does get cold in Frost. That would be a given though, considering it has ‘frost’ in the name. Anything else?”

“Doesn’t it not have a Kage?”

“That’s correct, the Land of Frost has a small ninja village called Shimogakure, but they have a Daimyō. Most ninja view the Daimyō as cheap politicians, which they are, but they need someone to govern their village. The Kage are only for the larger villages, like the five great nations.”

“Hey, the Daimyō aren’t all that bad…”

“That’s because you’re his son. You only say that because you don’t want to admit that your father is a cheap old bastard with a kink for women. I swear, if he was as bad as Jiraiya, I’d smack you for even defending him.”

“He’s the son of a Daimyō?!”

“Yup. Maybe you’ll give me a little more respect now.” Fuyuki jabbed at Kohaku, grinning when he noticed the glare he was given, from both Ren and Kohaku.

“Fuyuki, I do not need to warn you about my threat to tie you up again, do I?”

“Nah I heard you the first time. You said you’d do it if I bothered you while you were teaching your students. You’re not teaching them, so you can’t do anything.”

Ren paused his walking, turning and glaring at the bluenette. “Fuyuki. Do you think I make threats lightly?”

“Obviously, you would’ve acted on your threat if you meant it.”

“Fuyuki I swear, I will make you walk to Frost on your own if you say one more word.”

“One more word.”

Ren growled, his eyes widening behind his hitai-ate when he realized the violent chakra was almost upon them. He tensed, sending out quick pulses of chakra before pulling out a kunai and quickly blocking the shuriken sent at him.

“You three, protect Fuyuki! I’ll handle the enemies.”

He gritted his teeth in aggravation, had Fuyuki not distracted him, he would’ve kept an eye on the violent chakra. Instead, he had been distracted and didn’t notice them getting closer.

He grabbed two more kunai, throwing one to his left, one to his right, and keeping the third one with him in case he needed to block anything. He sent out a large pulse of chakra, deducing that there were only three enemies. Just his luck though, he had three untrained students, and the son of a Daimyō with him. He quickly but subtly replaced his kunai with a lot of shuriken, taking some of the wire in his weapons pouch and tying it to each of the shuriken.

“Aw look, a group of ninjas protecting that bastard’s son. What’s even better, three of them are untrained Genin, and the last one can’t even see.”

“You dumbass, that blind ninja is Jigoku no Guren!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I'm really upset cause I wrote this whole thing about why Ren had the nickname he does, but like it's not saved ;-; I'm going to try and recount the explanation the best I can:  
> So basically there's a flower in Japanese history, the Guren, that is basically a crimson-colored lotus (reminiscent of a flame), (don't quote me, going of Wikipedia for this) that also is in Buddhism as Guren Jigoku and refers to number seven of the Eight Cold Hells, where if someone ends up there, its so cold that the skin of the body is torn and the blood looks like the crimson-colored lotus.  
> So basically Ren's a dick sometimes and has a habit of burning enemies/those he's sent to kill. It'll make more sense once the next chapter is finished and published.
> 
> //EDIT// I made a discord if you'd like to talk or ask questions about the story!  
> https://discord.gg/zASVQD8 is the link!


	5. Jigoku no Guren

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really short, and honestly I have no inspiration to finish this at the current moment. I'll post what I have of this chapter, but this story is on an indefinite hiatus until I can finish it. I'll be posting mini scenes that I have the motivation to write in another book, and add them here once I can actually connect them, but for now this book will not be touched for a long while. I'm sorry if you all were looking forward to a finished story, I'm upset that I can't finish it but at the same time, I'd rather not force out crappy chapters for the sake of posting something.

Ren smirked, shifting his hitai-ate down so that it was hanging around his neck, his cloudy orbs shining with arrogant confidence. “So, you know who I am then. If you really knew who I was, then you wouldn’t bother attacking my students, or Fuyuki, now would you?”

 

The leader of the group scoffed, he obviously didn’t believe Ren was as much of a threat, which was a good thing for Ren. He’d be able to defeat them easily as long as they didn’t try and bring his students into it. The smile painting his lips grew mocking, almost taunting even, his eyes holding a dark glimmer in them. If it weren’t for the fact his eyes were visibly cloudy, one would think he could stare into one’s soul and expose their fears and lies.

 

“I’m serious boss! We’ll be dead in seconds if we engage with him! It’s better if we just retreat-”

 

“You think I’m scared of some stupid, sad excuse of a ninja who can’t even see? Are you sure he’s not the one being escorted, I mean seriously? Konoha must seriously be losing it’s touch if they decide to send out some blind, terrible excuse for a ninja.”

 

_“You’re just a sad excuse for a ninja, no wonder you got kicked off your first genin team.”_

 

Ren snorted, laughs beginning to tumble from his lips. He clutched his stomach as he laughed, glancing up at the enemies with a grin. “You really think Konoha would send me out if I was untrained and unfit to be a sensei? Think about it. Why send out a ninja that’s blind... unless he was dangerous.”

 

Two of the enemy ninjas gulped audibly, letting Ren know they were scared of him. “Your two lackeys are smart to be afraid. Are you still certain I’m no threat, or would you like to reconsider making an enemy of me?” He teased, a part of him enjoyed getting under people’s skin.

 

“Ren, enough. You aren’t alone right now, you have students with us. Let them handle it, think of it as a training exercise.”

 

Said male flinched, blinking once before turning to look at his students. “... You’re right…” He mumbled, cursing himself for neglecting his students. What if there were more than the three enemies he could sense? He was putting his students in danger, what kind of sensei would he be if he let his students get hurt on the first mission, or killed even?!

 

“Gomen… Satoshi, Kimizuki, Kohaku… How about you three take on the enemies? I will be your backup if needed.”

 

“But sensei! What if we-”

 

“I trust all of you. I wouldn’t have taken you along on this mission if I didn’t think you could handle it.”

 

“... Hai, sensei…”

 

Ren smiled slightly, nodding at his students. “Go. I trust you’ll make the correct decisions when battling enemies. Watch each other’s backs. I’ve trained you three to become accustomed to each other’s fighting styles and weaknesses. Don’t think too hard Satoshi. Just act.”

 

“Good, the stupid blind idiot realized he’s useless and decided to let his students fight. Maybe this won’t be a useless fight after all.” The leader grumbled, nodding to his lackeys. Ren smirked back, “You severely underestimate me and my students. That will be your downfall, not mine.”

 

Several things began to happen at the same time, Kohaku had thrown a kunai with an explosive tag at the enemies, Kimizuki created two clones of herself, and Satoshi nodded to both of them. A smile pulled at Ren’s lips, a giddy feeling rising in his gut as he watched his students take charge and work together.

 

“You taught your students well, Ren. They act like they’ve been training and fighting together for years.”

 

“It’s all about learning to trust each other and molding their styles together; Kimizuki is the power, Satoshi is the brains, and Kohaku is the glue that holds them together… I couldn’t have asked for a better team.”

 

A warm feeling filled his chest, for once he was actually… content. He had Sasuke, he had a wonderful team of Genin… What more could he ask for?

 

“ _Kohaku_!”

 

Ren’s heart stopped, things happening in slow motion.

 

 

Kimizuki shouted Kohaku’s name.

 

 

Ren turned his head around quickly, eyes wide and hoping, hoping to anyone, hoping to _Kami_ that his student wasn’t severely hurt.

 

 

Kohaku’s cry of pain was the only sound that registered in his brain, the smell of blood invading his nose, the pulse of chakra from his feet painting a picture he didn’t want to see.

 

 

Blood beaded along the cut on Kohaku’s cheek, but that wasn’t what had most of Ren’s attention.

 

 

_No_ , it was the steady stream of blood sliding down his right arm, the dark red color seeping through his shirt, staining his fingers, his skin, _the ground_.

 

 

Anger flared through Ren’s body, his cloudy orbs dark, an evil glint in his eyes. “Kimizuki. Satoshi. Enough. I’ll finish this.” He ordered, a faint ache in his eyes responding to the anger flowing through him.

He took a step forward, a gust of wind blowing his hair around. His eyes flashed red for a moment, briefly he could see a fuzzy outline of three people in front of him.

 

“You all think… That because I am blind… I am weak… You forget to realize, that because I’ve been called weak for so long, that I have overcome many things… Making me strong. Making you _weak_.”

 

A sinister grin pulled at his lips, hands moving through signs mechanically. “Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu.” A humongous ball of flames left his mouth, scorching the ground in front of him and the enemies as well. Their screams echoed in Ren’s ears, a sadistic part of him enjoying the blood-curdling cries of agony. Once the fire dissipated, the only thing left of the enemies were piles of ash, powdery over the blackened ground.

 

The grin on his face slowly slipped from his lips, his head pounding and growing dizzy. He took a staggered step backwards, blinking slowly before he fell back, faint cries of his name reaching his ears before he lost consciousness.

\---------------

 

This is the indefinite end for now, until I regain the motivation to finish this.

-ImAFvckingPrince, 2/17/19


End file.
